The Philippine Consulate General described Saturday the difficulty in identifying the people who died in the wildfires that ripped through the island of Maui in Hawaii.
Consul General Emil Fernandez said authorities had to get DNA samples from people who said their relatives were still missing from the fires.
“A big part of the operations is gathering the remains and painstakingly identifying them kasi ito ay burnt victims,” Fernandez said in a radio interview.
“Unless you have DNA samples, if (the subject) doesn’t have a fingerprint or dental (records)… you have to rely on their DNA. That is why they are soliciting DNA from those who are missing loved ones,” he added.
At least 111 people are known to have died in what was the deadliest wildfire in the United States in over a century, including an elderly Filipino.
The final toll is expected to be considerably higher, according to authorities.
Average calls from Filipinos, Fernandez said, reached up to 20 per day when the Philippine Consulate opened its hotline to those looking for their loved ones.
He also vowed to help repatriate Pinoys who would request one.
“We have to keep in mind that many Filipinos here are already permanent residents. So far, we have not received any request for repatriation,” he said.
The Philippine Consulate team is currently in Wailuku, near Lahaina, because they have not been permitted to enter the area.
Philippine authorities are providing consular assistance to Filipinos who lost their passports and important documents, the Foreign Affairs Department earlier said.